Tampon applicators are formed of both paperboard and plastic, and they typically have a barrel and plunger used for expelling a tampon through an insertion end of the barrel into a vaginal cavity by applying a force to a finger engaging end of the plunger. Such tampon applicators have taken many different forms in an effort to satisfy the need to provide for the proper and comfortable delivery of a tampon. To this end, it is recognized as important for the tampon applicator to incorporate suitable design features making it possible to use the applicator for delivery of the tampon with a minimum of perceived discomfort or effort by the consumer.
In an effort to achieve these results, many different tampon applicators have been proposed which present a wide variety of features. However, despite these efforts, there are still shortcomings which remain to be addressed. Generally, these shortcomings relate to the inability of known tampon applicators to fully and satisfactorily address the overall comfort of the user.
Among the shortcomings in existing tampon applicators is providing a secure, comfortable grip at the gripping end of the barrel. It is also recognized that the finger engaging ends of the plungers in existing tampon applicators often are found to be less than fully adequate for applying the right amount of pressure to the plunger in a manner that ensures the proper and comfortable delivery of the tampon. Further, the barrel and plunger of existing tampon applicators have not always provided for smooth, stabilized relative sliding movement.
In addition, the insertion end of the barrel on many existing tampon applicators is formed to have a plurality of flexible petals defined by slits where the petals can open during tampon insertion and then close for withdrawal of the barrel. Thus, when a force is applied to the finger engaging end of a plunger, the plunger engages the tampon and moves it forward in the barrel until the tampon engages the flexible petals. After the tampon has engaged the flexible petals, the force which is applied to the finger engaging end of the plunger acts to force the petals to open to thereby enable the tampon to be inserted into the vaginal cavity of the user.
While efforts have continued to improve tampon applicators, there has been no effective method or apparatus for testing tampon applicators in a manner correlating to the level of comfort perceived during use. In fact, the conventional method of testing a tampon applicator containing a tampon has been to evaluate the expansion or compression stability of a tampon, typically composed of absorbent materials such as cotton, rayon or a combination of the two, by measuring the peak force needed to expel the tampon from the tampon applicator. In order to conduct this method of testing, it has been common to utilize an appropriately calibrated load cell for the purpose of measuring and recording the peak force required for tampon expulsion.
In particular, the conventional method of testing a tampon applicator has utilized a turret style apparatus that can accommodate a variety of cylindrical diameters within the range of diameters of current tampon applicators. The apparatus is used to hold the tampon applicator, typically just above the petals, with a force that will prevent slippage of the applicator when a force is applied to the plunger to expel the tampon. However, while this apparatus may measure the peak force used to expel the tampon, it does not in any way replicate the actual experience of a user so there is no correlation to the level of comfort which will be perceived during use.
It would, therefore, be desirable to have a method and apparatus for determining the work required to expel a tampon from a tampon applicator in a manner which correlates to the level of comfort perceived during use by replicating the actual experience of a user in terms of how the barrel is held and the plunger is depressed during insertion of a tampon into the vaginal cavity.